I re-Tweet you … But do you Influence me?

Last week Research Magazine and Dollywagon released their ranking of the 20 most influential tweeters in the #mrx community and after reading a few posts of people who couldn’t believe they were ranked, I started thinking about what influence really means in social media.

Last week Research Magazine and Dollywagon released their ranking of the 20 most influential tweeters in the #mrx community and after reading a few posts of people who couldn’t believe they were ranked, I started thinking about what influence really means in social media.

WHAT IS INFLUENCE ABOUT?

As per Dr. Robert B. Cialdini, author of the book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”, in order to build trust — and, subsequently, gain influence — you must first understand human behavior. And yet, according to Cialdini, even when armed with that understanding, you must also master what he calls “The Six Universal Truths of Influence”:

1. Reciprocity: “It’s a rule in all human cultures that obligates me to give back to you the form of behavior you first provide to me. In the context of obligation, people say yes to those they owe. For companies, ought to consider what they might provide to customers at no charge. Having received a freebie, a customer might just be driven to make a subsequent purchase in return”.

2. Scarcity: Which were the two most in-demand items in 2008: the Apple iPhone and the Nintendo Wii. They are great products but that’s not why consumers camped out in sleeping bags in order to buy one. “People want more of the things they [might otherwise] have less of,” says Cialdini.

It’s psychological: “People are more motivated into action by the idea of losing an advantage than gaining it,” he says, adding that you’re therefore entitled to tell people what they will miss if they fail to move in your direction.